Creepy Boys and Car Rides
by Socandis
Summary: Fey Garcia may or may not have just soiled herself...Her paranoia kicked in as soon as she left the faculty parking lot and saw a deer.
1. Chapter 1

Fey might of just shit herself. Alone and soaked to the bone Fey is practically swimming home through the forested country roads of Forks, Washington. muttering obscenities about her good-for-nothing neighbor.

Growing up in Upper Manhattan, she's used to standing up to the occasional ballsy cab-driver or avoiding shady subways perverts. But life in Northwest suburbia was a whole different ballgame. Her home was miles away from school-or anything else for that matter, the sky has yet to reveal the sun in the two months she's been here, and the humidity alone has turned her curls from tolerable to terrible. However, none of these are reasons as to why she may or may not have soiled herself.

No, Fey is _ALONE_ on a seemingly _ABANDONED_ backroad. Her ride to and from school left her waiting the school parking lot. With no other options, she's decided to walk the 3-mile stretch to her home. But remember Fey is not a country girl. She grew up in the city. Watching _Unsolved Mysteries_ all summer has left her with a residual fear of being abducted. Her paranoia kicked in as soon as she left the faculty parking lot and saw a deer.

Nerve-wracked, exhausted and wet Fey almost lost it when a red Volkswagen pulled up next to her. There is no way she would survive a kidnapping. Her survival skills rank at -85 on a scale of 10. Should her kidnapper have her play television trivia for her life, she would win. But they probably won't, and she will most likely perish. The beefy Agent Derek Morgan from _Criminal Minds_ was not going to save her in a blaze of glory.

"Need a ride?"

Fey's heart stuttered, stopped and restarted with a vengeance. Armed with only her house keys, and her resting bitch face, she turns to face her kidnapper. If she's able to escape later she can at least identify him.

"Garcia, do you want a ride or not?" Smiling behind the wheel of the rabbit was Jacob Black. Fey releases a sigh of relief. Ironically the rain stops and the heavens open. For now, her mutual friend Jacob is her hero, her angel and her the reason she won't miss her telenovelas. She runs into the passenger seat.

"Please get me the hell out of here. You don't know how tired I am. You're-", Fey stops midsentence. Apparently, she was not the only stray Jacob picked up.

Crammed in the backseat of Jake's shitty car was a man. An irritated, muscular, half-naked man. His knees were tucked into his chest and his arms practically hung out the windows to accommodate his large wingspan. His head hunched over to fit between the passenger and driver's seats. The disgruntled expression on his face did absolutely nothing to take away from how attractive this guy was.

 _Well shit, Derek who?_

"...Hey," Fey says with a tip a of her head.

Shooting a smug look at the guy in the backseat Jake says, "Fey, this my friend Paul."

Somehow 'Paul's' face looked even angrier. His nostrils flared, and his brow furrowed slightly before turning to Fey; however, when he did his eyes widened. Gone was the look of annoyance from his face and in its place…a blank stare. No hello, no wink, no smile just a look. A kind of creepy look.

Paul's staring lasted almost a full minute before he seemed to snap out of it. He blinked twice and produced a smile that would melt the panties off the coldest glacier.

Unfortunately, the damage was done. Paul's social faux pas put Fey ill at ease and set the strange tone for their relationship as well as the uncomfortable ride home.

So, while Jacob tried to keep his laughter unnoticed, Fey pretended that she didn't notice Paul trying to smell her drying hair.

In the backseat, Paul started to imagine waking up to a head of curly hair on the pillow next to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Paul is being a major creeper. He feels that he's hit new levels of low. But the only thing keeping him from wallowing in his own shame and self-loathing is currently taking out her trash. Since imprinting on Fey last week, Paul's been watching his imprint from the woods behind her house. He's "protecting her," he says.But there's no way he can protect her from himself when she's wearing those tiny pajama bottoms.

 _The leech-lover lives right next door. Who knows what other monsters are lurking around the place._

Before he shifted, Paul never had to sink so low for dates. Not that he considered Fey the bottom of the barrel. God no. To Paul, she's amazing. The sun could shine out of her asshole and he wouldn't bat an eyelash, she's so amazing. The fact that he's been parked in the woods outside of her house for a week is a testament to just how amazing she is. The way her curly hair bounced when she walks. The way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she laughed at her own jokes. The way her freckles seemed to cover every single inch of her skin.

 _God every freaking inch._

Her level of amazing has reduced him to sitting outside her house at 11:09 at night just to watch her take out the trash. Frankly, it was starting to upset him.

Paul's list of exes is by no means long, but he can confidently say that he's got game. If this were any other girl, he could have easily flirted his way into a date the minute she stepped into Jacob's car. But Fey wasn't just some other girl. Fey was his _imprint_. She was the reason he woke up in the morning. She's the reason he's trying to control his anger issues. She's the reason why animal control will try to put him down if Chief Swan were to look out his kitchen window. But he just can't help himself.

As Paul tries to step a little closer the sound of a twig snapping reverberates through the air and Fey freezes in her tracks. The hand she has holding the lid of the recycling bin stops midair. She subtly tries to peer into the trees behind the garbage bins, but seeing as she doesn't have night vision, she finds nothing. However, that doesn't stop her from remembering how Joséphina was kidnapped by the drug cartel on tonight's episode of _Corazones_ _Celosos_. For that reason, Paul has to dodge the flying bag of garbage the nearly hits him in the face while Fey runs back into her house.


	3. Chapter 3

This morning Fey was woken up by a bucket to the face.

With it being a Saturday, custom dictates that Latino households all over the country have to force their children to spend the day cleaning. However, her rude awakening, courtesy of her abuela, Doña Lety, was entirely too aggressive. Which could only mean one thing: people are coming.

Since this morning, Fey has swept, mopped, dusted and even rearrange almost every inch of her house. Meanwhile, Doña Lety has been peeling vegetables in front of the TV all morning.

 _Damn, the old woman can't be that sick. She's been nagging orders at me all day._

"Abuela, who's coming over today?"

Doña Lety hands Fey her knife and potato. Her silent demand is reluctantly recognized, and Fey picks up where she left off. Her abuela rubs her arthritis-stricken fingers and starts to mix the cut up veggies for her potato salad.

"Tu Mama busco un contratista para que me instale la sillita al escalera."

"If the contractor is only working on the stairs why did I have to clean my room?" Fey stops mid-slice.

"Y tú no viste la perrera que tú tenías en ese cuarto?" Doña Lety doesn't bat an eyelash. Her raspy voice raises slightly to properly scorn her granddaughter. Before she broke her leg, Doña Lety, used to walk into Fey's room every Saturday morning and just stare at the mess she had. Clothes were strewn about every which way. The desk chair in the corner of the room taking the brunt of the mess. You couldn't even see it anymore. In her eyes, it was just so...unladylike.

Fey just stares at her abuela dumbfounded.

 _La vieja played me._

•••••

When the doorbell rang much later, Fey almost didn't answer it once she peeked out the living room window and saw who it was. However, her abuela's yelling made it hard to ignore.

Fey put a smile on her face, she tried to keep the irritation off of her face when she answered the door.

"Hi, Paul."

While she would normally welcome the eye candy that was Paul Lahote in a tool belt, Fey was starting to get weirded out. In the weeks following their first meeting, Fey has _coincidentally_ run into Paul at 2 different grocery stores, an Arby's and even a church parking lot. Each time it's been the same awkward hello, and round of cringey small talk until Fey excuses herself. She's beginning to think she has a stalker.

On the other hand, Paul's heart practically sang when Fey opened the door.

 _Oh please say my name again,_ he thought. Paul could barely contain himself. His imprint was right in front of him and all he wanted to do was touch her. But he's already reached ultimate creep level by showing up at her house. Typically Paul wouldn't come to work with his dad. He's already gotta worry about the school, patrol, and the walking leech magnet next door, manual labor on a Saturday afternoon was the last thing he wanted to do. Yet, when he overheard his father saying that the house he was working on this week was Fey's he was ready so quickly that he was waiting in the truck before his father was even out of bed.

"Hi, Fey. My dad and I are here to install a chair."

"Okay...um, where's your dad?"

 _He drove too slow, so I jumped out of the car and left him behind._

"Uh, he's running late. He told me to start without him."

"...Alright...well the stairs are that way." Fey honestly didn't know what to think. If she were smart she'd get a restraining order against this guy. He's around way too often for it to be a coincidence. However, he's also way too nice and entirely too good looking to deny. He's like a giant German Shepherd.

Stepping aside Fey let Paul pass through the door and Paul tried not to smell her hair when he did.

While Fey ventured into the living room to finish watching her show, Paul reached the foot of the staircase before realizing that he probably should have waited for his father. He had no idea what he was doing.

 _Great job genius. You're in her house, now what?_

Paul took out a pencil and tape measure from his tool belt and started to measure the staircase. Why? He wasn't sure, but he had to look busy to avoid suspicion.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Fey painting her toes on the living room coffee table. While he waited for his dad he tried to think of a way that he could get closer to her. The way he was going about things now made him look a low budget movie villain.

"So Fey," Paul cleared his throat _. "_ Jacob told me that you, ah were looking for a job...um how's that going?" Paul wanted to cringe. He wanted to bury himself alive, he was so cringeworthy. He was acting like an awkward 12-year-old, what has she done to him.

"Oh. Yea it hasn't been so good on the job front."

"I could get you a job. I know a guy that's hiring at his clothing store on the Res."

 _You idiot, why would you say that_?

"Really? Could you get me an interview?" Fey perked up on the couch. Her head shot up like a gopher trying to get a better look at Paul.

Paul couldn't get over her face. This is the first time she's ever reacted so positively to him. He couldn't let her down. If the girl asked him to rip his heart out of his own chest, he would send it to her a freaking gift basket.

"Absolutely _._ Just give me your number so I can let you know."

"Oh my gosh, Paul, thank you so much."

"Anytime Fey."

 _God, just put me out of my misery. I'm so screwed._


	4. Chapter 4

Fey was ready to drop kick this 14-year-old.

After spending the better part of two hours arranging the store displays before opening, a posse of preteens ruined it in less than 5 minutes.

Don't get her wrong, she's incredibly grateful that Paul was able to get her a job. Telling people what to wear, what to buy and even creating colorful displays was something that she surprisingly good at. If she could only find a way to keep customers away. Then she wouldn't feel the need to burn the store to the ground whenever a soccer mom tried to argue over the return policy with her.

She's even found a new best friend in the form of Kim Trader, a friend of Paul's, and the niece of the shop's owner.

"Kimmy, if I tried to kill that girl, could I count on you to testify on my behalf?" said Fey as she reorganized a rack of T-Shirts for the _THIRD_ time.

"You mean lie?"

"Of course"

"Absolutely, but you wouldn't try to get yourself fired, especially after Paul worked so hard to get you this job," Kim said as she tried to keep the smile off her face. She's never seen Paul so worked up over a girl before. Paul may be the pack's hothead but when it comes to girls, he's always seemed so level-headed and cocky. To have seen him dropped a couple pegs was something that she would forever cherish.

•••••

" _Kim, please? Please. I'm saying please Kim, that means you have to help me."_

 _Kim could hardly believe her ears. Despite being Jared's imprint for almost a year now, Kim has rarely spoken two words to Paul, at least one-on-one. Part of the reason being that he intimidated her to no end, but mostly because Jared was entirely too paranoid to leave her alone with the guy who shifts at the drop of a hat. For Paul to have caught her when Jared was away, speaks volumes about how much he must really want to talk to her._

" _What?! No, it doesn't."_

" _Yes, it does!"_

" _Paul I want to help you, I really do but my uncle just isn't hiring people right now." As much as Kim wanted to help Paul with his imprint, her hands were tied._

" _Oh come on. You're like his favorite niece. You could be running a drug ring from his storeroom and he would be all for it. All you have to do is get her an interview. She's amazing, your uncle wouldn't say no to hiring her."_

" _Paul-" By this point, Paul's hands were shaking and his nostrils were flaring. Kim meanwhile was planning out escape routes that would put her out of the line of fire. But right when Paul's shaking began to travel to his other extremities, he released a deep breath and stopped altogether._

" _Kim, think about how happy you are with Jared. I just want that kind of happiness for me and Fey. Don't you want me to be happy Kim?" His voice had even adopted a softer tone. His soft eyes were staring at her with such an intensity that she almost forgot what they were talking about. This softer side of Paul was something that she could never have expected. But, she sympathized with him._

 _Though Fey may not get as many hours at the shop, perhaps Kim could pull some strings and at least get her uncle to meet with Fey. As she opened her mouth to say so, Paul seemed to have lost his patience and reverted back to his typical irritated attitude._

" _Kim, you will never be alone with Jared again. I'll just keep bothering you until you do this. When you guys wanna go out, 'oh there's Paul', when you guys wanna make out, 'Nope can't do it Paul's here, when you and Jared wanna have se-"_

" _OKAY! I get it! Just give me some time to run it by my uncle. Goodness."_

 _Of course, leave it to Paul to make turn his humbling moment into a threat._

•••••

Hours later, after the final customer was ushered out the door, Jared was waiting outside to pick them up. Yet, this time he had a tagalong. Sitting on the hood of Jared's car, clad in a deliciously form-fitting T-shirt and cut-offs was Paul. Fey couldn't help but stare at the outline of muscles on his arms and chest.

 _Shit, all those beautiful lines. Doesn't he paint a pretty picture… Too bad he's such a weirdo._

"What are you doing here Paul?" asked Kim. Although she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"I was told there was gonna be food," Paul replied with a shrug.

If Kim wasn't confused before she was now. She gave Jared a hug and kiss before she looked to him for clarification. Jared just shook his head. Disbelief on his face and a laugh hidden somewhere behind his smile.

"I was gonna to take you to the diner and Paul invited himself," Jared said.

"Do you want to come with us?" Paul looked expectantly at Fey. Somewhere behind him Jared snorted and muttered something about him being pathetic. Thankfully Fey didn't hear him. Paul would kill him once the witnesses were gone.

"Sure, I wouldn't miss a chance to cockblock Jared." Jared's smile was prompt wiped away and his hold on Kim's waist tightened.

On second thought, Paul's imprint seemed more than ready to put Jared in his place.

•••••

The awkward silence that settled over the table was uncomfortable to say the least. Once arriving at a quaint little diner somewhere in downtown Forks, all conversation seemed to stop. At least in the car, the sounds of the radio were enough to keep everyone preoccupied with their own thoughts. But now, at 8:37 on a Sunday night, the diner was almost dead silent and no one had anything to talk about. If you focused hard enough you could even hear the late-shift waitresses gossiping to one another by the register at the counter. The fact that they were whispering about the mismatched group squeezing into the small booth on the other end of the restaurant, only made it more uncomfortable.

Jared and Kim sat on one side of the booth, limbs entangled to the point where it was just enough for passersby to know that they were a couple, but not enough make others feel they have to look away to protect innocent eyes. On the other side of the booth, Fey felt like she was trapped between a rock and a hard place. Sitting next to a forgotten poster of a pin-up girl,-whose breasts were right in Fey's face- Fey tried to divert her attention elsewhere. Unfortunately, elsewhere was the veins running up Paul's muscular forearms.

 _Jesus, take the wheel._

Paul sitting in the aisle seat next to Fey couldn't be happier with the cramped seating arrangement. His large frame allowed him to be a little closer to Fey without seeming like a lurker. His behavior for the last month and a half has already embarrassed him far beyond belief. If he didn't know that Fey was the one waiting for him at the end of all the jokes the guys were making, he would honestly quit. Seeing her check out him out when he and Jared picked them up was helping him rebuild his confidence. Even now as she sat next to him, he could feel her eyes on his arms, like a soft caress. He could barely keep the smirk off his face.

"So Fey was telling me that her mom was gonna start teaching at the high school on the Res." Kim tried to diffuse the tension. The gossiping waitresses were beginning to talk about Jared and she didn't want to say something that would get them to spit in her food.

"Really, what's she teach?" Jared rubbed Kim's arm in an effort to comfort her.

"She teaches English and Creative Writing," Fey distantly remembered that she should probably call her mother. As relaxed as her Mami was about most things, school nights, boys and going out were some of the things that could set her off in an instant. The fact that she was engaging in all three made her hands start to sweat with anxiety. She needed to find a phone and quick. Fey may be seventeen, but she would never be old enough to outgrow _the chancla_. "Does this place have a phone I can use?"

"Yeah, there's one by the bathrooms in the back." Paul got up to let Fey slide out up the booth, but he made sure to keep remain close to the table so Fey would have to brush up against him. Her soft curves brushed against him and he had to hold back a sigh.

As he sat down with a shit-eating grin on his face, Jared and Kim gave one another a look.

"Dude, you're acting like a predator," Jared stated. He pulled his arm away from Kim so he could lean in closer to Paul.

"Technically, I am a predator," Paul replied with a shrug.

"Yes, but this is crazy. You gotta see how crazy this is. Kim, tell him he's acting crazy."

"Yeah, maybe ease out of her, ah, personal space a bit. You're coming on, uh, a little strong." Kim may have sounded unsure but she was 100% behind Jared. Her shyness and Paul's stature were the only things stopping her from bluntly scolding him for his behavior.

"No, I'm not." Paul's nostrils flared.

"Paul, you've been following her around since the day you met, you watch her sleep, and you showed up to her house unannounced. Dude, you're a stalker."

"Everything you just said, are things that Jared does with you all the time."

"You stole her hairbrush, and you're not even dating."

Paul was trying his hardest to stifle his growing frustration. His hands gripped the edge of the table and his eyes were shut tight. "You know what, I'm done being accused of being something I'm not. I'm gonna go take a leak before I flip this table into the freaking kitchen."

"Paul, don't freak her out anymore. Don't corner her Paul. Don't-" Jared's voice trailed away as Paul's anger rose. His blood was surging through his ears and he was trying to curve his growing need to shift.

Yet, as soon as he saw Fey leaning against the wall by an old pay phone, the dull ringing in his ears stopped. Her delicate fingers played with the cord of the phone, and her eyes shifted around the old stickers and photos lining the wall in front of her. As she made eye contact with him, she gave him a small smile and his tensed muscles relaxed and his need to pee was completely forgotten.

As she got off the phone, she said, " Hey I'm gonna have to head out."

"But we just got here we haven't even eaten yet."

"Yea, but it's Sunday night and my Ma's just not havin' it. Do you have the number of a taxi that I could call?"

Paul was panicking. She couldn't leave now. How was he supposed to convince her to be the future mother of his children? "I could take you. I'll take you home and then I'll come back for Jared and Kim."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I'll get the keys and we'll get out of here."

"Okay. Thanks, Paul. I'll meet you at the car."

"Okay."

 _Paul, you shit head, don't ruin this._

As soon as Fey passed him he rushed back to the booth. He barreled into the table so suddenly that Kim jumped in her seat.

"Jared give me your keys."

"What, why?"

Paul was halfway on the table. He held his hand out, and had a crazed look in his eyes."I gotta take Fey home. Now give me your keys."

"Dude, what? No."

"What?! Come on, I'll come back for you guys!"

"No."

Paul lunged over the table, knocking over several drinks and condiment bottles as he took the keys from Jared's pocket. Kim leaned back in her seat to try to get away from the arms flailing in front of her. Jared struggled against Paul but ultimately lost. As Paul ran out the door, he dodged the waitress and he yelled over his shoulder, "I'll come back."

Jared and Kim sat in relative silence staring at the door. Jared was clutching his hand, which Paul may or may not have broken. Kim's shirt and hair were drenched in soda. The Paul that they know and reluctantly like-or at least put up with-has literally left the building. The stranger who just stole Jared's keys was off to convince the girl of his dreams to marry him.

"Oh, poor Fey."


	5. Chapter 5

Paul may have tried to kiss Fey, but she wasn't entirely sure. Once they made it to Fey's house, Paul shut off the car and they awkwardly sat in silence for a moment before Fey thanked him for the ride. When she reached for the handle Paul abruptly leaned over her. Her heart had nearly beaten out of her chest for 2 entirely different reasons.

Reason one:

Holy shit is he serious?! He's not really gonna kiss me, is he?! I don't know you, I don't know you, I don't-

Reason two:

Oh Dios Mio, thank you for blessing me with this beautiful specimen of a man. If he's gonna kiss me, who am I to spit in the face of your kindness.

Suffice to say, Fey was conflicted. As her eyes bugged out of her head and she held her breath, Paul made the split-second decision to abort the kiss and play it off. He ended up reaching for the door handle and making up some bullshit excuse.

"Sorry this door gets stuck from the inside," said Paul with a sheepish smile and his face—which Fey was hyper-aware of, given that it was about two-hand-widths away from her. From that angle, she could smell the soap he used to shower. Damn her if it didn't smell good.

"Oh, okay. Thanks again, Paul. Have a goodnight." Fey's voice went up two octaves. She tried to scramble out of the car as gracefully as she could. She failed. She slipped out of her seat and would have fallen, had it not been for the seatbelt holding her back. She quickly undid the seatbelt and power-walked to her house, where she was sure her mother and abuela were watching from the windows.

Paul's sheepish smile turned into a full-on grin once Fey finally shut the door to her house. There was still hope for him.

•••••

As Fey went over the moment again, she leaned against the front door, trying to settle her racing heart. She pushed off the door and searched for the other residents of the Garcia household. The house was dark and the only lights still was a solitary lamp in the living room and the light above the stovetop in the kitchen.

Just as she thought her mother and abuela were posted in front of the kitchen window. However, they weren't watching her as she suspected. Instead, they were peeking across the yard to their neighbor's house. By the looks of it, they had been watching for awhile. Doña Leti was furiously chopping garlic on the kitchen counter. Her daughter sat beside her on the counter, the upper half of her body turned so she could discreetly look out the window behind her. They were both nursing their night time cafe con pan.

Fey neared the window and silently snuck a piece of bread from the napkin next to her mother.

"...So what are we looking at?"

Fey's mother, Gloria, didn't even turn to her as she answered. " _La vecina_ invited her boyfriend over and her father doesn't know."

"Bella?"

Gloria simply nodded as she took another sip of her coffee. Her eyes were focused on the window across the way as she tried to detect movement through the sheer curtain.

Doña Leti, not one to leave her two sense out said, _"Esa muchacha es malcriada. Como ella vas hacer eso con su papá, un policía, estas en la casa. Es una falta respeto."_

"Well her father may be a cop but he's not a very observant one," replied Gloria.

Fey was also entranced by the ongoings next door. "...or we're just, you know, being nosey."

Gloria and Doña Leti each made a sound of agreement as they sipped their coffee and chopped their garlic, respectively, neither one looking away from Bella's bedroom window.

"Abuela, why are you chopping garlic, it's like, 9:30 PM?"

 _"Para protegernos m'hija. El novio de la vecina es medio sospechoso. Estoy tomando precauciones."_

"Edward? Abuela, what are you talking about?"

"Mama's been going on about Edward being some kind of evil entity or something," Gloria spoke into her mug of coffee.

Doña Leti abruptly stopped her chopping. Her lips pursed, a tell-tale sign she was about to verbally scalp her daughter. "No, 'o soonting'." Her glare practically pierced Gloria's soul. _"Ese muchacho es demonio. Yo lo has visto en mi juventud. No me hable a mi como si fuera no se de lo que estoy hablando, cabezona."_ Fey had to look away. There was something uncomfortable about watching her mother get chastised.

Gloria, however, was barely phased. At 45, she's had enough experience dealing with her mother that she can take whatever her mother says about her in stride.

"Okay, Mama." Gloria sipped the last of her _cafecito_.

•••••

The next morning Fey waited on her porch for Bella to leave her house. As customary, Bella was Fey's ride to school, although Fey wasn't really sure what kind of mood Bella would be in this morning. Apparently, Bella had a bad breakup right before Fey moved next door and had been acting like a lifeless zombie ever since. However, from what she could peek from her spying session last night, Bella was actually smiling. From the information, she could gather from her gossiping abuela, Bella's former ex, had ABANDONED her in the WOODS, after their breakup.

As much as it irritated Fey that Bella would go back to someone like that, she wouldn't say anything to the girl. Fey and Bella were barely friends an the most they ever interacted with one another were during the uncomfortable small talk to and from school. So if Bella got back with the selfish asshole, as Fey would call him, that was her problem. After all, Fey was _chismosa_ , not _metiche_.

After sitting on Bella's porch for another 5 minutes, Bella finally came out of her house but she wasn't alone. Walking out the door behind her was Bella's new, old boyfriend.

"Morning Fey, uh this is my ah, boyfriend Edward. He's um gonna take us to school today," said Bella.

Internally, Fey was screaming. Red flags were going up. Fey vaguely remembered how her abuela told her to put some homemade remedy behind her ears this morning. She said it was to ward off evil demons. Fey recalled calling her abuela crazy (not verbally, of course, she doesn't want to die) but looking at Edward's weird golden eyes, as he sized her up she was beginning to rethink her statement. His skin was so pale and blemish-free that it kind of hurt her eyes to stare directly at him.

"Hello, Fey. I hope you don't mind, Bella's told me so much about you." He was like staring into her soul and Fey's palms were getting sweaty, but she grew up in New York. She's an inner city kid and there was no way she was gonna show that she was outwardly intimidated by the pasty white boy, Bella calls a boyfriend.

Fey squared her shoulders and held her head high. She looked him in his weird eyes and said, "Nope, I don't mind. Let's go then." She abruptly turned around and power-walked to the car. Her heart hammering the entire way.


	6. Chapter 6

Somewhere in the woods, Paul was having an aneurysm. He could literally feel his blood coursing through the vein in his forehead. Paul hasn't left his post in the woods behind Fey's home since he dropped her off last night. He caught a whiff of the bloodsucker as soon as he opened the passenger side door. If Jared thought that Paul was gonna leave Fey for even a second so he could drop off his car, he was sorely mistaken. Paul ditched Jared's car as soon as his Fey went inside the house. He's even stayed up all night watching and waiting for suspicious activity. He even had to listen to the leech-lover and her monster flirt with one another.

 _Euch!_

It would have all been worth it if his imprint hadn't had gone to the leech lover's front door and delivered herself to the freak on a silver platter. But damn him if it wasn't incredibly satisfying to see her stand up to the weirdo.

•••••

After school that day, Fey went to the Port Angeles with her mother to meet up with her older sister Claire. At 24 years old, Claire could have looked like Fey's identical twin, had it not been for the aggressive resting bitch face that Claire sported on a daily basis.

The three ladies were shopping for bridesmaids dresses for Claire's fast approaching nuptials.

"Goodness Fey, take that off. You look like a boobless noodle."

"Ma, she's ruining my self-esteem again," Fey sighed. Having tried on five dresses before the one she wore now, Fey was ready to attend the wedding in her birthday suit. To her slightly OCD sister Claire, every dress had something wrong with it, and with every fault she found, another insult would pour out of her mouth.

•••••

"Look Ma, it's Mrs. Potatohead."

"Should I tell everyone to bring singles, because she looks like a stripper."

"Fey, congratulations your ass came in but you look like a salt shaker."

"If you wear that, I will burn your face off."

"How is it that none of these look good on you...like shit Fey, are you ugly?"

•••••

"I'm sorry sweets, but she's kind of right about this one." Gloria sat next to her eldest daughter in the seating area outside the fitting room. "Besides, it's your sister's day, she can make you wear what she wants."

Claire had a satisfied smirk on her face as she turned to face her sister. She said, "that's right, Little Bitch, it's my day."

"Claire! I've told you not to call your sister that."

Fey rolled her eyes at the sound of her childhood nickname. By now she was immune to it.

"Take that off, Little Bitch-"

"Claire!"

The girl just kept talking as if her mother didn't just scold her. "It's obvious that we're not gonna find anything for you here."

Fey signed and returned to the fitting room. They probably could have found her dress two stores ago were it not for how picky Claire was. Claire's summer wedding marked a huge occasion for the Garcia family, and it was promised to be the event of the year. The fact that the reception was going to be held in Fey's backyard did nothing to stifle the anticipation leading up to it. All her relatives, both in and out of the United States, we're going to be there.

Fey has been mentally preparing herself for this since her sister's engagement. On the day of the wedding, Fey was going to be totally zen. That is of course if her cousin Hector, doesn't start talking shit, then all bets were off.

"So who are you bringing as your date?" Claire called out to Fey.

Fey opened the curtain of the fitting room, to reveal her confusion. "Um, I'm a bridesmaid, isn't my date whatever groomsman you assign me?"

"Little Bitch-"

"Claire!"

"Just because you're walking down the aisle with one guy, doesn't mean you're gonna go home with the same one."

"Ah, excuse you, Claire, she's not going home with anyone!" Gloria's voice went up like 3 octaves. Her Spanish accent became so thick, that she eventually switched languages. "Ella se va pa su casa y sunset va pa la del. Thank you, very much."

"Okay, Ma, relax. What, the girl can't have a boyfriend?"

"Oh no, she can have one. But her innocence is staying intact until she's _MARRIED_. I've worked too hard to have you guys ruin your lives with _PREMARITAL SEX_. You wanna give your Tias something else to talk about? Shit." Gloria's eyes were practically bulging out of her skull. She continued her rant under her breath as she got up to browses through the store's racks of clothing. Her mind at this point was somewhere far away, back to when she was 21, pregnant and marrying who she once believed to be the man of her dreams.

At 21, Gloria had a shotgun wedding and wasn't able to finish her teaching degree until she reached her mid-30s. It wasn't until she divorced the shitty father of her children, that Gloria was finally able to get her life back on track. The last thing she wanted was to have her daughters experience the same things she did.

Claire and Fey's eyes widened. The man formerly known as their sperm donor was a topic they didn't like to think about. Ignacio Campbell cheated on their mother all throughout their childhoods. They briefly recall the fights their parents used to have at night. In the morning they would wake up to their Mami cleaning up broken glass and their father's leftover coffee sitting on the table in the hallway from when he made his quick getaway the night before.

Fey can even remember the times she would see her father sitting outside the bodega across the street from her bus stop, with a woman in his lap as he played dominoes. She used to get in trouble for calling him out on it because she was "just a kid" and "kids shouldn't stick their nose in adult business".

He was disrespectful to Gloria and although he cared for his children, to Fey and Clair he will always be that guy who made their mother cry at night.

"Bueno, she may not go home with him, but Fey still needs a date," Claire said. She turned to her sister to ensure that she was paying her the full attention she deserved. "Don't bring anyone ugly, or you'll shame both our family and family I'm marrying into."

•••••

The Garcia women didn't leave Port Ángeles until about two hours later when Claire finally decided to settle for a dress Fey tried on earlier in the day. In her words 'well, it's not like they're gonna be looking at you, they're gonna be looking at me'. Fey would have tried to hit her had she not known that Claire would hit her back twice as hard.

All Fey wanted to do when she got back home was watch her novela, maybe make a sandwich and finally go to bed. So it came as a surprise to her when she got out of her mother's SUV and found Paul waiting on her porch. His head shot up and he quickly got up when he saw the Garcias pull into their driveway.

 _Goodness, the boy is cute, but damn I'm just too tired to deal with him right now._

But the closer Fey got to him the more she felt her resolve fade. She couldn't really resist his big brown eyes staring at her like that. He looked like a puppy.

Meanwhile, Paul was mentally preparing himself to make a pretty ballsy move. Since the pack meeting held earlier today, Paul's been on edge. Apparently, there was _ANOTHER_ leech hanging around Forks and this time it was trying to kill Fey's nuisance of a neighbor. No freaking way was he gonna let Fey hang around that.

The only problem is that Paul had no way of getting any closer to Fey. To be honest, he was getting pretty tired of just stalk-, uh protecting Fey from the woods behind her home. He decided that enough was enough when he caught himself getting ready to pack a bunch of hamburgers in a cooler before coming to his spot near Fey's room.

What he was about to do would require some serious courage and should it end badly, he would be devastated, not to mentioned ridiculed, which was almost worse.

"Hey Fey, do you want to go out with me?"

Paul was very obviously not going to beat around the bush this time.

Fey's eyes widened. Her mother and sister were literally right behind her. She could feel her blush overpower her tan and her heart start beating erratically. Claire was smirking no doubt. But she could feel her mother's judging stare.

 _Gosh, Paul, you have the worst timing. This is so embarrassing._

Sensing the awkward vibe that's been presented Gloria cleared her throat and announced that she and Claire were going to give them some privacy. The boy apparently didn't have the sense to wait until no one was around.

Gloria walked into the house with their shopping bags and Claire followed behind her at a slower pace. Claire was too busy checking out Paul. She may be engaged, but she could still appreciate a nice package. However, she couldn't help but cruelly let out a chuckle before walking indoors. In her experience, it was always the cute ones that made the dumbest decisions. She couldn't help but mouth the words 'wedding date' to Fey from behind Paul's head.

Paul, on the other hand, looked just about ready to pitch himself off a roof. It didn't matter to him that he asked her out at the worse possible time. He was more focused on the fact that Fey hasn't answered him yet. Although, she did look adorable with her face all red like that. But goodness, his heart was breaking. He could feel his world crashing around him.

"...Um…"

 _UMM?! Shit, Fey. UMM?! Oh lord, she doesn't feel it. She doesn't feel the imprint. I have to leave. I'm gonna run away to Alaska._

Fey was on the fence. Guys that look like Paul don't go for girls like Fey unless they want something, not to say that Fey was unattractive. Her self- confidence was very much intact and she wasn't about to let anyone tell her she's not pretty, because she knows she's cute. But Paul was like another level of hot. He was like movie star attractive. He looks like he frequently has other people photoshop their face onto his body. The natural curve of his mouth signaled trouble and his eyes suggested that he was a guy used to getting what he wants. Having dealt with guys like him before, Fey wanted to say no but she just couldn't.

"Can I get a rain check?"

"..."

"..."

Paul didn't even know what to say.

 _Was that a no, because it hurt just as much as a no_.

"...Uh."

"It's just that my novela is on, and I don't want to miss it." To Fey that was a legitimate excuse. She hasn't missed one episode of _Corazones Celosos_ since it aired three years ago and she wasn't about to miss it now.

"..."

He almost couldn't believe it. This is the first time anyone has ever put off a date with him in favor of watching tv. Oddly enough it kind of added to Fey's charm.

"Oh, yeah that's fine."

However, it totally wasn't fine. Paul was starting to feel like a failure as a mate. How is it that a freaking tv show had more appeal to his mate than him.

Just as he was about to turn around to leave, Fey stopped him. Yet, another move that took her by surprise. He looked like a kicked puppy, and she couldn't stand to see him that way. Which is probably why she said, " Do you want to watch it with me?"

She wanted to smack herself right then and there. But the fact that Paul was looking straight at her, didn't allow her to do so.

"Yeah, I'd love to."

•••••

As elated as Paul was to be sitting on the couch with his imprint literally two feet away, for the life of him, he didn't know what was going on. Yet, this time it wasn't because his wolf was in a Fey-induced trance. Paul wasn't thinking about the future he and Fey had together. He wasn't thinking about spending the rest of his days with her watching tv and cuddling. He wasn't thinking about the children they would conceive having couch sex, no. Paul was wondering how and when he should have revealed to Fey that he couldn't understand Spanish. He honestly didn't care about the show, he could sit quietly in Fey's company for hours. The problem was that it was totally weird if he did that at this point in his relationship with her.

On the other end of the loveseat, Fey was wondering something similar. Given that the show was about three seasons in and in another language, Fey was wondering how Paul was able to follow along. If he was even doing so.

Finally, someone spoke up.

"So what's happening?"

Fey couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, so that's Manolo. He's the main girl's brother and he recently killed his best friend in some alley behind a bar…"

"Shit, okay."

"...and that's the main girl, Milagros, and she was secretly in a relationship with her brother's best friend."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah and she doesn't know that he's dead, she just thinks he's missing and she found out that she's pregnant with his kid."

"Oh, my God!?"

"I know, there's a lot of other stuff that happened but I'll explain it when we get to it."

So the rest of their night went off in a similar fashion. Paul became more and more invested in the show as the late afternoon sun set and the stars started coming out. It, of course, helped that Fey's explanations were just as entertaining as the show was. During commercial breaks, she would get up to face him fully and animatedly try to catch him up on two seasons worth of plot. Every time the show came back on she would quickly hop back on the couch, always a little closer than before, and each time he would feel his heart thump a little harder as if celebrating his small victories. He wasn't sure whether it was intentional or not, but he obviously was not complaining.

When the show was over, Paul figured he might as well get ready to go on patrol before he stayed too long and she decided to rescind her rain check.

As Fey followed him to the door, he was acutely aware of her family watching them in the kitchen. He was so focused on his imprint for the last hour that he didn't even notice them come downstairs.

Once they were out of the earshot of her family Paul turned to her and asked, "So what about Friday?"

"What?"

"For that rain check on our date?"

"Oh, uh, I work till 8, is it okay if we go after that?"

"Yeah, that's perfect."

Fey gave Paul a shy smile as she leaned against the door. The sight made her look so precious to him, that he physically had to hold himself back from wrapping a lock of her hair around his finger and gently pulling on it to watch it spring back in place. But again, that would be creepy and Paul was in it for the long haul. He wasn't gonna ruin this over a lack of impulse control. So he said his final farewells, stepped off the stairway and walked down Fey's driveway to the dark street below. He had a smile on his face the whole way. That is until he caught a whiff of leech and the sight of red hair flashing behind a tree. Just like that he shifted and ran into the woods, unaware of the eyes that watched him from her bedroom.


	7. A Message from the Author

Hello everyone! I just wanted to take this time to tell you all how much I appreciate your reviews so far. This is my first time ever publishing one of my stories and it makes me so happy to hear how much you all like it.

Creepy Boys and Car Rides was originally meant to be a one-shot. It was just a little something I wanted to post so I could finally say that I've published something. But due to all your wonderful feedback, the ideas started pouring in and I decided to continue. Thank you for sticking with me as well as with Fey and Paul, thus far.

I know that updates have been slow, but to be honest I've been making this up as I go along. However, I promise that there's a method to the madness. I've got big things in store for Paul and Fey and maybe even some other characters, depending on how things unravel.

You have no idea how happy it makes me, to hear from you so please keep the reviews coming and I promise to try to update quicker. Stay tuned for the next chapter and thanks again, everyone!


	8. Chapter 7

The silence in her house was almost suspicious. No cars alarms, no passing trains, no police sirens. Just crickets. For Fey, it was almost unbearable. Living in Forks has really taken a toll on her sleeping schedule. She didn't realize how accustomed she was to living in the city until she had to go without the sound of her New York City lullaby.

Since moving to Forks, the girl has been plagued by dreams of stampeding giant dogs. In the dream, Fey stands alone in a valley. Suddenly she starts to feel the ground trembling. It starts as a dull thumping in the soles of her feet, and builds until her whole body starts shaking. She looks all around her for the source of the tremors all the while struggling to stay upright. When she turns on the spot she see what appears to be a pack of giant dogs running straight towards her. The scene ironically reminds her of Mufasa's death in the Lion King.

Fey tries to run away from the dogs but eventually they catch up to her and she struggles to not get caught in the undertow of the pack. She struggles to breathe as they surround her on all sides and right when she's about to get stepped on, she wakes up.

However, tonight was different. Tonight, Fey was hiking along a stream in the woods, which is crazy because Fey doesn't hike much less in the woods.

She was walking across some rocks to get to the other side of the stream when she suddenly notices a black mark on her forearm. As she brings her hand closer to inspect the marks she realizes that it's a leech. She quickly yanks the thing off her arm and looks at the open wound left behind. It's small like a paper cut, but it continues to bleed. Just as she takes another step across one of the stones in the stream. She spots two more black marks on her person. Again, more leeches. Fey takes them off her, but continues to feel her skin crawl. She's starting to panic. She wonders how long they were on her for. She once again questions why the hell she's in the woods in the first place. Her hands are shaking, she's getting jittery and paranoid. She feels something is coming for her.

Fey quickly tries finish crossing the stream but at the last second she feels something push her into the water. She splutters and thrashes for a few moments before realizing the the water isn't deep enough to drown in. Fey gets onto her hands and knees to catch her breathe and as the water settles and she opens her eyes, she realizes that her arms are covered in black marks. For a moment she's calm. Her mind has yet to fully register what's happening.

It isn't until she sees her reflection in the water does she notice that the leeches are covering every inch of her. They're on her arms, her neck, her cheek, her eyelid. Her hands, still submerged in the water, are swimming in them. She screams, obviously, and she starts ripping them off her. Each cut openly bleeding and stinging like a paper cut. She pulls, and she pulls but every time one comes off she feels like another reappears somewhere else on her skin. Eventually, she starts feeling weak, she thinks they've sucked too much blood. Her eyes get heavy, and her body feels numb. She falls into a bush somewhere and is to seconds from passing out before a horrifying face burst into her vision. The last thing she remembers before being scared awake is red eyes.

So needless to say, at four in the morning Fey was wide awake in bed. She was just about to get up to go to the kitchen when she heard her door creak open. Fey remains perfectly still in her bed as she watches her Abuela creep into her bedroom. Given that she has a broken leg, Doña Lety's sneaking was much less of a creep and more of an awkward shuffle followed by the clink of her crutches.

Fey laid in her bed watching her Abuela put tiny crosses around her room. As she put a tiny figurine of baby Jesus on her windowsill, Fey called out to her.

" _Abuela_ , what are you doing?"

" _Mira Muchacha_!" Doña Lety yelped as she dropped one of her crutches in fright.

" _Porque tú estás 'levantada?! Acuéstate_!"

" _Pero Abuela_ , You're awake too?"

" _Cállate! Son la cuatro de la mañana!_ " Doña Lety's statement was contradictory. Fey found it hard to take her seriously when she was screaming at her for something she was doing herself.

"Pero Abuela, I can't sleep. I've been having nightmares."

" _De que_?" Doña Lety sat on Fey's bed and she ran a hand through her _nieta's_ hair. Her voice full of concern.

"I'm not really sure. Usually, it's about getting crushed by giant dogs, but tonight it was about _sanguijuelas_."

In the two seconds it took Fey to say those words, Doña Lety froze and then yanked her hand out of Fey's hair so abruptly that she took a few strands with her.

" _AY! Abuela_ -" Doña Lety threw a pillow at her.

" _Lla acuéstate!_ "

" _Pero, Abuela_ -"

" _No, ya estas bien. Duérmete y no te olvides de orar._ "

Fey followed her Abuela's advice without question. She turned over in her bed with a sigh. There was no use in arguing with her. She said a quick prayer and tried to go to sleep, which was a bit difficult since her Abuela was not at all quiet about her exit. She could hear her rummaging around her room. Before Doña Lety closed the door to Fey's room she said, " _Coño, vas a limpiar esta perrera cuando te levante. Dios ni lo quiera que me caigo_."

Doña Lety hobbled down the hall towards the bedroom she shared with her daughter Gloria. There were just a few hours left before sunrise and she had much to do. There were only so many blessings she could perform on the house before then.

The sudden realization that Fey may be having visions only made Doña Lety want to increase her efforts.

•••••

The following morning, Gloria woke up to find her mother passed out on the couch. She was faced down in the cushions with her legs spread eagle. You could almost see up her housecoat. She held a rosary in her right hand and a small water bottle in her left. Gloria would have thought her dead were it not for the snoring coming from her open mouth.

" _Mama_ ," said Gloria in a stern voice.

Doña Lety awoke with a start, almost falling off the couch in the process. She spilled drops of the water in my her unsealed bottle all over the living room and knocked over all the remote lined up on the coffee table.

When she finally settled down she scolded her daughter. " _Coño muchacha! Quieres que me de un paro cardíaco?!"_

"Ma, I'm the one who's gonna have a heart attack, with you roaming the house when no one can watch you."

" _Tch_ ," the older woman sucked her teeth in disagreement.

"No _tch_. What if you fell down the stairs and broke your other leg, huh?! "

Doña Lety rolled her eyes. Just because she had one accident, her daughter now thinks she's accident-prone. For goodness sake, she was old, not invalid.

"Okay, okay. Fine. _Sigue ahi,_ " said Gloria.

Suddenly, Fey came running down the stairs, one hand holding onto her purse and the other hand holding her shoes.

"This one might break her leg too."

Fey was running around the kitchen, opening and closing cabinet doors.

" _N_ _i_ _ñ_ _a, que tu buscas_?"

"I'm looking for something to eat. I'm gonna be late for work and I don't have time for breakfast."

" _Bueno_ , you should have woken up earlier?"

" _Bueno_ , I overslept because Abuela was creeping around all night."

"What?" Gloria looked over at her mother, who was still reclined on the couch. Doña Lety just waved her hand dismissing the accusation.

" _Ay_ , I don't have time. I have to catch the bus." Right when Fey was about to step out the door, her Abuela called out to her.

"Hey, _besa la mano!_ "

" _La bendicion, Abuela. La bendicion, Mami._ "

" _Que Dios te vendiga._ " Gloria and Doña Lety each said their blessings to Fey.

It was silent only for a beat before Gloria tried to ask her mother what she was doing creeping around the house last night. However, she was interrupted by another startling question.

" _Que tu sabe de ese muchacho de ayer?_ "

"The boy from yesterday? You mean the one that asked Fey on a date?"

" _QUE?! No, no me digas que ella vas a salir con el?_ "

"I'm pretty sure she is, I heard her say yes to him." Paying no mind to her mother's shock, Gloria made her way into the kitchen to start making breakfast. She was used to her dramatics. The fact that this time it involved a boy, only added fuel to Doña Lety's real-time soap opera. She could recall a time when her mother used to threaten to disown her, when she used to go out on dates. Gloria would dress up to the nines, with the off-the-rack outfit she found at JCPenney. Her mother would watch her from the door frame of her bedroom. Gloria was never really sure if she was judging her or offering her silent support, either way she make some comment about her makeup and would then sulk in the living room. Her father, Fernando Garcia, a burly Spanish man with work-hardened hands and a permanently intense look on his face, would wait by the window facing the street, grunting and nursing a _cerveza_ , so he could catch a glimpse of her date. His mustache, thick and strong, would twitch in disdain. When her date would finally arrive, her mother would purse her lips and survey him from head to toe before making a sound of contempt and retiring to the kitchen for the rest of the night.

For her mother to be making a fuss about Fey's dating life was no surprise.

" _No! El es lobo! Es un monstro!_ "

This, however, was a new kind of drama.

"Wolf?! Mama, what are you talking about?"

" _No! Ni te lo voy a explicar! Me vas a llamar loca, te conozco."_

Gloria sighed. "Fine Mama. Did you take your medication?"

" _Tu ves! No me llames loca, cabezona! Tu eres la loca!"_

"Mama relax, no one's called you crazy. I mean the medication for your broken leg."

Doña Lety visibly deflated. " _Oh. No, mi hija pasamela. Que estas en la gaveta."_ Her attitude did a complete 180.

Gloria rolled her eyes. She may not have said her Mama was crazy, aloud, but she certainly thought it.

•••••

Later that day, Fey was sitting in the break room eating from the half-eaten birthday cake from one of her coworkers, whose name she didn't bother learning. Fey was about to reach for another slice when Kim walked in looking exhausted and done. Typically, Fey would ask her what's wrong but given that they both work in retail, there really was no reason to, so they sat in silence. At least until Kim said this:

"Someone left a turd in the fitting room."

"Oh my god, Kim! I'm eating!" Fey pointed to her second slice of cake. The tiny pirouettes made out of chocolate that sat on top of her slice looked entirely too familiar, and she had to push her paper plate away, her appetite completely ruined.

Kim couldn't even lift her head from her hands. "Oh god, there's carpeting in there."

"Whose working the fitting room?"

"Matthew," replied Kim, finally lifting her head to run a finger through the frosting of Fey's abandoned slice.

"Who?"

"The birthday boy."

Fey and Kim shared a wince. No one should have to spend their birthday cleaning shit. However, they both silently thanked their stars that it was him and not either of them.

"So, I heard that you got a date with Paul tomorrow," Kim's smirk slowly grew with every word.

"So," Fey shrugged. Her face remained neutral but the tell-tale blush on her cheeks told a different story.

"Soooo, are you excited?" Kim's grin almost ate up half her face. In the short time that Kim's known Fey, she has quickly become her best friend. That bit of information is what always made Kim feel slightly guilty when she had to leave her new friend in the dark when it came to pack business. To have Fey know about such an important part of her life, meant that she could finally have someone to talk to, about the stuff that she couldn't share with Jared.

Although Emily has played a big part in helping Kim understand imprinting and all that came with it, it was always a little difficult to connect to her. With Fey, their connection was instant. She felt like she could talk about anything with her. Except, of course, anything having to do with the pack, but if things went well on Fey's date, it wouldn't be too much longer until she could.

Again, Fey shrugged. A secret smile peaked at the corner of her lips. "I am, a little. To be honest, I'm not even sure how this will go. Usually guys that look like him are total meatheads. I kind of thought he would be more of a dick, but he's been really sweet."

Kim wanted to say something, but she'd rather not burst Fey's bubble. The Paul that Fey knew was not a Paul that the rest of the pack was familiar with.

"Well, I'm excited for you. Do you know where we are going?"

Fey got up to start putting her trash away. Her lunch break was almost over. "He called me earlier and we decided to see a movie. He said he would pick me up after work. By the way, thanks for giving him my number."

Kim couldn't help but snort since she never gave Paul, Fey's number.

 _He's really gotten good at being her stalker. Usually, only girls are this slick, but I gotta say, I'm impressed._

"It's no problem, Fey."

•••••

As Thursday came and went, Fey's nerves seemed to skyrocket as closing time approached. The fact that she was going a date with who could be the hottest guy Fey has ever met, only sunk in after she got off her last break. She even dressed up. Contrary to her typically T-shirt and dirty sneakers combo, she wore a cute little blouse with short flowy sleeves and the nicest pair of dark wash jeans and ankle boots she owns. Altogether, she was going for a, _this is just casual, it's no big deal, but I still look super super cute and feminine,_ look _._ But it basically said, _I'm not trying, but I totally tried,_ which was good enough for Fey, considering that she practically had to run out of the house before her grandmother could stop her. She couldn't even properly understand what her _Abuela_ was saying to her, but she ran out the door before Doña Lety could hit her for not paying attention.

Once she finished cleaning up the racks and tables and her manager gave her the go-ahead to leave, Fey got her stuff from the break room and went outside to wait for Paul. She quickly checks her watch, which reads 8:07 PM. The nearby stores were also closing their doors and locking their gates.

She waves goodbye to her coworkers as they bid her farewell, and even muttered a quick goodnight when some of the other store owners passed her by. She looks at her watch again, 8:19 PM.

The street lights came on. Fey checks the curb for gum and bugs before she decides to sit down. Fey calls Paul using her mother's cellphone, which she let her borrow for the evening. There was no answer and she leaves a message. She checks her watch again, it's 8:42 PM.

Her manager shuts the gate and asks her if she needs a ride. Fey waves him off, she tells him they're on their way. However, Fey starting to feel like they are not. Her impatience is wearing on her and she can feel her irritation rising. The rest of the cars that line the street, leave for the evening. They make their ways home, to restaurants, to their Friday night adventures. Fey checks her the time, 9:02 PM.

Fey feels the disappointment set in. She calls Paul. Again, there's no answer and again she leaves another message. She can't bring herself to leave. What if as soon as she gets in a cab, he arrives and they miss one another. What if there was an emergency? After all he was the one that practically begged her for a date. She would have thought he would be as excited for their date and she was.

At 9:32 PM, Fey gets up from the curb and releases a sigh. She pretends that the pressure she feels behind her eyes aren't unshed tears and rather it's built up rage.

At 9:54 PM, Fey arrives home to an empty house. Her mother and grandmother are drinking wine and playing card games at a house of Mrs. Tucci, down the road. She takes a shower and puts away her pretty blouse and dark wash jeans and ankle boots. Fey feels she's wasted a nice outfit. She checks all the locks, leaves her mother's phone on the kitchen table and goes to bed.

Fey chastises herself for thinking that Paul and his _Derek-Morgan-looking-self_ , would seriously want to go out with her. Guys that look like him and too pretty to take things seriously. Even if things were to have gone differently tonight, there's no telling how long it would take him to decide he's done with her and he wants a taste of something new. She sighs and she tells herself that you can't miss what you never had, right before she closes her eyes for the night.

At 11:03 PM, Gloria's cell phone receives a missed call from the number it's been calling all night.


End file.
